Coming Out
by UnhealthyViewingHabits
Summary: How does the CBI react to the newest couple in the SCU?
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the sequel to "Questions & Comfort". I hope you enjoy this as well.**

**Disclaimer - I still don't own it.**

The dim light of the early dawn filtered through the curtains in the bedroom, bathing the interior with a soft glow. Teresa woke to a possessive arm thrown around her waist and soft breath tickling her ear. She grinned knowing that blue eyes would be her greeting this morning. She stretched languidly and turned to face the man that the arm belonged to.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

"Just because I don't suffer insomnia it's no reason to call me 'sleepyhead'," she casually responded without much bite to her words. She felt too good to be snippy.

Teresa placed a chaste kiss on his bare chest as Patrick placed one on her head.

When they had returned from Carmel the day before, neither was really sure what to expect. How they should act or what recourse they would take. Would they go their separate ways for the night or spend it together? If they did spend it together, would it be at her place, his hotel room, or some other hotel room? When they arrived at her home, it all became so clear.

She invited him in.

The two of them being so domestic and normal, it seemed surreal. Patrick Jane wandering around her kitchen in bare feet but still in his dress pants and light blue linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Teresa Lisbon doing dishes in leggings and an oversized football jersey, hair in a messy pony tail. Just two people that already were comfortable with each other, now they had the knowledge that they were on the same page.

Their coupling that night wasn't the fevered touch that they had experienced in Carmel. It was about comfort and reassurance that they were together. That is what mattered to them now. Just being together. For that, they would fight the devil himself.

"What time is it anyway, Jane? It can't be 6:30 already."

"Actually it's 6:00. Coffee is in the carafe waiting for you and I'm going to go shower. I have to stop and get a change of clothes."

"Get an extra change so I can at least sleep to 6:30 tomorrow."

Teresa suddenly realized what she had said. How it sounded even to her ears. A level of expectation that he would be there again tonight. He just laid there with a lazy lopsided grin on his face.

"Oh I'm spending the night again, am I? I feel so kept," Jane dramatically retorted with a twinkle in his eye.

"Bite me."

"Love to," came his cool rejoinder as he left the bedroom to take a shower, stopping at the doorway and giving her a wink and a crinkly eyed smile.

Teresa just rolled her eyes at him. Glad her comment hadn't thrown him, glad that they could still banter with each other. Glad that they were still "them".

Jane towelled himself off in her steamy bathroom. The humidity making the cinnamon he associated with her even stronger. He looked in the mirror and decided the pale stubble could wait another day. He'd bring a razor tonight to take care of it. He would have to remember deodorant too, as it wouldn't do to smell "powder fresh" just like Lisbon. Then he stopped to think about it. These little connections, the day to day with each other were the big things. It insinuated permanence. Where sex could be anywhere and without strings, your whiskers in her sink were a constant reminder, the razor next to the toothbrush a definite sign that it was more than short term. Personal hygiene habits that were shared, definitely a step to a future together.

And he was OK with it.

Lisbon sat at the kitchen table with a large mug of strong coffee in front of her. Running her fingers through her sleep mussed hair, Jane walked in buttoning his shirt and looking for his shoes. They looked at each other and just grinned, the importance of this simple mundane moment not lost on them. A moment that they never thought they would have.

"I have to run and change and I'm going to stop and get some goodies for the kiddies," Jane stated as he laced up his shoes.

"You just don't want them to kill you and hide the body."

"I have a feeling that Cho wouldn't even break a sweat ripping out my throat with his bare hands."

Lisbon chuckled. "He wouldn't want to get them dirty. He'd just shoot you."

"I better make sure his hands are full then."

Jane leant down and kissed her softly, running his thumb over her cheek.

"I'll see you at the CBI, Lisbon."

"See you then."

Lisbon pulled up in front of headquarters and noticed that the powder blue Citroen was already parked. She imagined that Jane already had the SCU on a sugar high and filled with feel good endorphins from his treats. She entered the elevator to her floor wondering how the day would play out after the team heard the news of the latest couple.

Jane was sprawled across his couch, waiting for Lisbon to arrive. He had handed out the goodies that Van Pelt and Rigsby gratefully appreciated and Cho accepted but was wary. He had a feeling that Jane had done something very bad to start the bribery so early in the week.

When Lisbon exited the elevator, Jane and her locked eyes and smiled. Cho caught the look but didn't read too much into it. They always smiled at each other. But in the next moment, he was as stunned as the rest.

When Jane strode across the room and kissed Lisbon, the entire floor fell silent. The only sound heard was Rigsby dropping his muffin with a soft "plunk".


	2. Chapter 2

**Another part of the story. I actually hit a thousand words! Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer – Still not part of my investment portfolio.**

Wainwright was in his office when he heard the silence being broken by catcalls and whistles erupting on the floor outside his door. Curious, he opened his door and peeked out to the nature of the commotion. Nothing short of a lottery win could be so joyously received. So he thought.

When he spied the cause of the raucous behaviour from usually contained and sober agents, his stomach hit his knees. This wouldn't do at all. Not at all. He silently shut the door and made a phone call to the director of the CBI.

Jane pulled away and leaned his forehead against Lisbon's, grinning wildly. Everyone was a romantic at heart no matter where they worked or what they dealt with every day. Lisbon shyly smiled, still a bit shell shocked from the kiss and the reaction from her co-workers. And it wasn't just her team (save for the ever indifferent Cho) but the whole floor was erupting. A blush settled on her cheeks and she punched Jane on the arm.

Gathering herself and giving a small throat clearing, Lisbon said, "Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt. My office. Jane you come too."

In the office, Cho stood with his usual mask of indifference, Van Pelt and Rigsby occupying the chairs in front of the desk, Jane lazed on her couch, and Lisbon in her chair. They all looked at each other, not knowing how to start.

"Did he hypnotize you, Boss?" Cho asked. Getting to the nuts and bolts and airing the idea that it wasn't all free will.

"No he didn't. He bought me homemade strawberry shortcake."

"Strawberry shortcake? That was all?" Van Pelt was a bit amazed. Just a cake and they were together. He bought muffins all the time, what was different about this shortcake?

"Well to be fair it wasn't just the shortcake. I also bought her some lovely seafood, freshly caught."

Rigsby was puzzled as Sacramento was hours from the shore, "Fresh caught?"

"Well, we ended up in Carmel. Jane had this farmer's market that he wanted to go to."

"Carmel?" Cho asked.

"Yes it's a lovely little town over by Monterey, Cho. I thought you would know your geography better than that," Jane jested. He was in too good a mood not to poke and prod at their befuddlement. Lisbon shot him a look.

"OK, he asked me if I wanted strawberries or ice cream on Friday afternoon. I said strawberries and he said he knew a place. Not until we pulled out of the parking lot did I realize he was going to Carmel. We were going to be back that night but we pushed each other in the ocean and didn't want to ride back in wet clothes so we got a hotel suite. We came back yesterday afternoon." The omission of the 48 hours from getting the suite to coming back to Sacramento was not lost on the three agents. They were detectives after all.

Van Pelt just grinned, trying very hard to keep it in, Rigsby stood with his mouth agape, and Cho still stood there indifferent except his fingers twitched. Jane imagined Cho was thinking of punching him into next week.

"We need to get back to work, guys. We thought telling everyone upfront would be the best way to deal with this. I wasn't expecting to do it in the middle of the bullpen with everyone watching but Jane is all about the show," Lisbon stated without any real malice. She just gently frowned at him and shook her head.

As the other three detectives filtered back out into the bullpen, still wondering how they had missed the signs, Jane wandered up to Lisbon's desk.

"That went better than expected," Lisbon said after the team went back to their desks.

"See the kiss was shocking to them and you never can do much when you are in shock. By the time it all fully sinks in, their subconscious mind will already have processed it and everything will be fine," Jane rationalized.

Lisbon just raised an eyebrow at him. He ran before the stapler left its position on her desk for his head.

Jane wandered to the kitchenette to get a cup of tea. He had missed his morning one at Lisbon's as she was sorely lacking in quality tea or tea of any sort to be exact. He would have to rectify that before tomorrow morning.

"What are you doing Jane?" Cho asked from the doorway behind him.

"Making a cup of tea."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I know what you meant."

Jane slowly turned to meet the dark hooded eyes of Cho. He was ready for this. He expected Cho to want to talk and knew he wouldn't waste any time.

"Let's go outside, Cho. I don't think that I want everyone hearing us. I'm pretty sure Lisbon doesn't want that either."

Lisbon glanced up from her desk to see the two men heading for the elevator. She was going to give them fifteen minutes to sort it out. After that she would sort it out for them.

"So how'd you do it?" Cho demanded the moment they got out the front door.

"Do what?"

"Don't be an ass Jane. You hurt her with your games and your lies. You make her work life more work than it has to be. How did you get past that, to spending a weekend in Carmel?"

"I didn't "get past" anything, Cho. We were always friends, now we are more. That is all there is to it."

"You know it's more than that. You could manipulate her before and I have every right to worry if that is all this is. Another manipulation to get something you want. But that is what I can't figure out, she already lets you do what you want and cleans up after you. What more could you get out of it?"

"I got her. That is all I wanted out of it."

Jane just looked at Cho as hard as Cho was looking at him. Cho turned to head back into the CBI and stopped level with Jane and quietly warned, "You hurt her, they won't find the body."

"If I hurt her, I'll buy the shovel."

The two men nodded at each other in understanding and re-entered the CBI.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all your reviews and favourites. It does mean a lot and I hope you enjoy this chapter also.**

**Disclaimer – Still not mine.**

Teresa entered her townhouse and kicked off her shoes and stripped off her socks. Everything dropped in a pile by the door, the smell of something wonderful calling her to the kitchen. She wandered in to a sight she never thought she would see. Patrick Jane in worn out chinos and a t shirt. He really could look good in anything.

He turned to grin at her wiping his hands on a tea towel before pulling her in for a slow wet kiss.

"I have wanted to do that all day."

"I have wanted you to do that all day," Teresa replied huskily.

Patrick just grinned and kissed her forehead and handed her a glass of red and turned back to making lasagna.

"So," Patrick started casually, "How was your day?"

Teresa just grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Well, after the little show this morning, Rigsby and Van Pelt kept coming into the office for no particular reason. Asking the most inane questions but I think they just wanted to know the how, what, and why of us but couldn't bring themselves to ask. It was actually kind of cute. I also got pulled up by Tracy in narc asking in a not so subtle way, how the born again virgin was and if you had forgotten anything. I think she drew the short straw out of the rest of the floor."

Patrick just grinned at her mischievously. "I suppose you told her that born again didn't mean that I had forgotten the mechanics?"

"I don't know. You haven't shown me any of your mechanics for about 24 hours. I might need a refresher course," Lisbon teasingly stated, running her tongue around the rim of her wine glass suggestively.

"You shower, I'll finish getting the lasagna ready and meet you in the bedroom in 15 minutes. I may even show you some new mechanical moves that I just remembered," Jane whispered huskily into her ear, shivers running down her body. She sashayed away from him with a little more sway than necessary, unbuttoning and casually discarding her shirt as she went. Patrick grinned and decided he would make her pay for that little move.

**********Mentalist***********Mentalist***********Mentalist************Mentalist***********

Panting and grinning, Teresa snuggled into Patrick's side. She was definitely ruined for other men. His skill at reading people could be put to good use in other situations and the outcome was far better than his usual punch in the nose. She had never felt so connected or sated.

Patrick just pulled her closer. She was so small but so strong. He loved these moments where he could feel like he was the one protecting her. His connection to Lisbon was born of pain and age and it felt all the sweeter for the peace it brought him.

"Well that was new," she breathily stated, still attempting to get her breath back.

"Not bad for a virgin, eh?"

"Not bad at all. But I need sustenance. Come on old man, let's get some dinner."

"Old Man? My dear, I'm affronted by your accusation."

"Be affronted later, feed me now or lose me forever," Lisbon teased as she stood and slipped into his discarded button down.

"I could get used to that look," Patrick grinned wickedly.

Lisbon rolled her eyes and tossed his pants at him as she hurried to the kitchen. The smell of lasagna was calling her.

Sitting at the small table, Patrick watched her eat, grinning to himself as she ate like she did everything else. Wholeheartedly. A little bit of sauce on her chin that she swiped away with her finger and licked off. A gulp of wine, not a sip, hums of appreciation after each mouthful. He found the incongruity of something that looked so small and delicate, to be so voracious quite attractive. His Lisbon.

"Bertram called today. He wants to see us at 9 tomorrow. So did you do anything I should know about Patrick?"

"Meh, no more than usual and no less. We haven't even had a good case lately. Maybe he wants to know what I did to woo you. Gale is probably just jealous," his eyes sparkling at his statement.

"Well as long as I'm not about ready to get into trouble for something you did. I think we can handle it."

"Can you handle another round with the "Old Man"?"

"Do again what you did earlier and I might even change my mind about the "Old" part at the very least," Lisbon teased.

Teresa grinned and ran for the bedroom, Patrick hot on her heels. He grabbed for her and pulled her back against his chest and she let out a squeak of surprise that turned quickly into a purr when his lips met her neck and his teeth gently pulled on the delicate skin. It would leave a mark but she was damned if she cared. She cared even less when his hands found their way under the shirt. From then on she lost the ability to think and went on pure sensation.

**********Mentalist***********Mentalist*************Mentalist************Mentalist**********

Teresa was woken to a painful tightening around her waist. Patrick had ahold of her and was drenched in sweat, pained moans leaving his mouth on gasps of air. She tried to pull away but he held that much tighter.

"Patrick."

Still no response.

"Patrick! You are hurting me!" Lisbon loudly stated, and that finally seemed to rouse him from his slumber. When she moved, she winced from being held so tight. Patrick's eyes widened in self disgust

"Oh God I'm so sorry Teresa," Patrick whispered out, the shock and fear on his face. He bolted for the bathroom and she could hear him being violently ill. She went to the bathroom, gimacing a bit as the blood rushed to her middle after the viselike grip it was held in.

There she found him with his back to the door and hugging the toilet bowl. She grabbed a washcloth and dampened it with cold water and gently placed it on his forehead. She didn't miss him slightly flinching away from her.

"You OK?"

"Yeah just give me a minute," he quietly stated without looking at her.

Patrick just kneeled there on the cold tiles and holding the cold toilet. Her warmth towards him as she stroked his back and wiped his forehead, made the guilt even stronger. He had hurt her. Had hurt her and she was the one comforting him. He didn't deserve her concern.

"I should go Teresa."

"Go where?"

"Back the hotel. Let you get some rest."

"Don't do this."

"Don't do what? Hurt you? I already did."

"Don't pull away. Don't hide from me. Shutting me out would be the worst thing you could do," Teresa pleaded.

Patrick turned and rested his back against the wall and looked at her. Beautiful, sweet Teresa. Her green eyes were looking at him, huge with concern.

"What do you want to hear? How some nights the nightmares become terrors I can't get out of? That I see him destroy you before me, you beg me to save you and I can't? That I know I will hurt you, either by association or by my own selfishness? I've been so selfish, too. I should have let us be just friends but I wanted so much more. Now that I have it, the reality is that he knows too. You are marked and it scares the shit out of me."

"Listen to me Patrick Jane, I know you think that us getting together has made me a mark. But I knew what I was signing on for. I know that I was marked well before we became something more. Do you think Red John so foolish that he wouldn't have noticed the closeness between us? We are so much stronger together. We can be happy and I won't ruin it because of a "what if?" scenario. He can only hurt us if we don't find him first. I have no intention of letting that happen."

"I can't lose you."

"You won't."

Patrick sat there just staring. She was his fierce Teresa. His avenger, his army. The determination and strength that he admired was directed at what they had and if she was willng to go the distance, then so should he. This is why he loved her but he couldn't say it yet. Not yet.

Teresa saw him concede to her. His eyes became soft and open and he let her just see inside as he sat there gazing at her. She could read what he felt but it wasn't the moment to push a point. One battle at a time.

"Come on, let's go back to our bed," she softly whispered and offered her hand to help him to his feet.

Once in the bedroom, Teresa laid on his chest as if to protect him from the demons that had slipped in to their bubble. He is what she wanted and she'd be damned if she was going to let a boogeyman take this from her. Patrick slipped his arms gingerly around her, not wanting to hurt her anymore but wanting to anchor her to him.

They laid there, just holding each other. No words spoken. Just soft touches of love, the words still caught in their throats.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you again for the story alerts and reviews. I hope you enjoy this next installment.**

**Disclaimer - Still not mine.**

Jane and Lisbon were outside Bertram's office, waiting. Jane hated waiting. He fidgeted and glanced around, did a read on the receptionist, had a chat. Lisbon just watched him to make sure he didn't cross a line. She knew that the night was rough for both of them but they had made it out of the darkness and neither had gotten much sleep. Her ribs were still a bit sore but hoped Jane didn't notice the finger marks there. He had hurt enough last night with that adding to his guilt so she had stayed covered this morning. He didn't know that he had marked her in his night terrors.

She heard the receptionist's phone buzz signaling that the Director was ready to meet with them.

Entering the office, Bertram fixed them both with one of his patented smiles that never truly reached his eyes. Lisbon started to get nervous and Jane reached for her hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"Welcome again Agent Lisbon, Mister Jane. Would you like a coffee or a cup of tea? I can have Karen get you one," Bertram asked with an oily sheen of manners.

"No I'm good," Jane responded.

"No thank you, Director."

"Well since the pleasantries are dispensed with, I will get to the unpleasant business. Mister Jane, Agent Lisbon, it has come to my attention that you two are involved in a romantic relationship. Is this correct?"

"Why Gale, are you congratulating us? That is so very kind of you," Jane replied with more than a hint of snark that wasn't lost on the occupants of the room.

"Actually I was going to ask you both to cease and desist in your dalliance so you can keep working together. I'm sure that your feelings for each other are quite strong, I do remember various conversations with both of you where the main concern wasn't yourselves but the other. I knew it was only a matter of time before you crossed the line into impropriety. And how would it look for the bureau if its top agent and prodigal son were caught out by the press? They would have a field day with this sort of salacious gossip."

Lisbon just looked at him and stated the obvious. "He isn't an agent."

"My dear Lisbon, he is a full time employee of the CBI that works in close proximity with you and your team. If he is to continue working with the CBI, he would be moved to another unit. I do hear that the offices in San Diego are looking for a consultant for their serious crimes unit."

Bertram just sat there, with a smug satisfied smile. He finally had the upper hand on the consultant. San Diego wouldn't know what hit them or he would leave the CBI. The Director was a good study of character and knew what buttons to push knowing that Jane would rather quit than give up Lisbon. He knew that the diminutive agent was Jane's lifeline. Bertram didn't make it this far without having a few people reading skills of his own. He had the consultant right where he wanted him and it felt good to have the upper hand once where Jane was concerned.

"Lisbon, can you give me some time with the director please?" Jane stated while giving her a knee a squeeze.

"Why do I have to go?" Lisbon asked with questions in her eyes.

"Plausible deniability."

They looked at each other, talking in their silent language to each other and she nodded slowly. She trusted him.

After Lisbon exited the office, Jane leaned back and studied Bertram, with that calm and cold facade on his face that Bertram didn't like one bit.

"It seems to me Gale, that we have reached an impasse. I have no desire to leave the CBI or be moved to San Diego. And giving up Teresa, not possible."

Jane's cold calculating manner making Bertram squirm slightly.

"Well then I will have to terminate Agent Lisbon's employment with the CBI. I'm sure that wouldn't come between you at all. Her job seems to be quite important to her but I don't see how she could ever resent you for that," the Director coldly countered.

"Do you really want me to start digging, Bertram? I'm sure that there are some bones in one of your closets just begging to get out into the light of day. In fact I think one of the skeletons sits at your reception desk."

Bertram eyed him warily. Karen wouldn't have told Jane about their affair. Bertram had political aspirations and that was something that wouldn't sit well in the conservative community that he was allied with politically. Karen was discreet and had no desire to end her marriage either. Jane couldn't have proof that would be damaging but this was Jane, and nothing would be surprising anymore.

"I would like to know how you came to that conclusion, Patrick."

"She looked slightly ashamed when she saw Teresa and me holding hands. Wouldn't look us in the eye as if she was guilty for something similar. Then I went and had a chat to her. She referred to you as "Gale" once and kept playing with her wedding ring when she mentioned you. I may be a bit off my game today but that was too obvious. As you said, the press loves salacious and what could be more salacious than a married pillar of the community in a grubby little affair? Far more salacious than two unattached co-workers, don't you think?"

Bertram's face took on a red appearance as he reigned in his ire at the man before him.

"Now Gale, I do believe that Lisbon and I will be heading back to the CBI to work. There will be no interference from you, the Director, or your staff. Teresa is above such tactics as blackmail but I'm far more ambiguous in my morality and I have no problem protecting what is mine using whatever means are at my disposal. Are we clear?" Jane's tone of voice didn't waver from calm, his eyes looking as cold as his threat, making the effect of his words slightly more chilling to the ambitious man in front of him.

"And how do I explain that I'm aware of your affair but do nothing about it? You have left me in a precarious position."

"I'm sure you will think of something as PR is your forte, mine is helping the SCU close cases which we do quite efficiently. I'm glad we had a little chat, Director. It's always nice to get things out on the table and dealt with, don't you think?"

Jane rose from his chair and extended his hand to the Director, who ignored it completely. Jane just shrugged and left the office, grinning.

No one threatens what was his.

Lisbon was waiting outside, talking on the phone when she looked to see Jane coming toward her. She said a quick goodbye and hung up.

"So what did you do?"

"Nothing that he didn't deserve. Do we have a case?"

"Do I have a consultant?"

"Yes, and you will for a good long time. I promise you that," Jane said pulling her close and kissing her gently.

"That is good to hear, I think I wouldn't have enjoyed going to work nearly as much if I was leaving you every morning naked in bed," Lisbon whispered as she pulled away and started to head back to her vehicle.

Jane just smiled at her swaying backside and trotted to catch up with her.

"So where are we heading Dear Lisbon?"

"Small town north of here. A body dropped and that was Cho on the phone they will meet us there."

Jane grabbed her fingers before she put the Chevy in gear and kissed her fingertips. She just grinned and held his hand as they headed out of the parking lot to their first case as an "Us".


	5. Chapter 5

I had a hard time with this but I think I worked out the bugs in my head. Please enjoy and I hope you like it!

Disclaimer - Not Mine

The team sat around the CBI table with pizza boxes and beer bottles strewn haphazardly across its surface. Everyone was relaxed and happy after the closing of a pretty straight forward case. Jane's inspired performance of losing "evidence" caused the murderer to try to plant more to get the heat off of himself. He was literally caught with his hand in the cookie jar where he was putting the more incriminating evidence. He had sung like a canary after death was taken off the table.

Van Pelt was grinning at Jane and Lisbon as they bantered back and forth, stealing each others food and swigs of beer. Stealing glances and sly touches. The mood was light, now was as good a time as any.

"So um," Van Pelt started hesitantly, "How did this all start? I might be out of line but.."

"It's OK, Van Pelt," Lisbon replied, "He seduced me over a meal."

"I did not. I drenched you in the Pacific just to see you in a wet shirt," Jane teased.

"You would," Lisbon shot back with a grin.

Grace just chuckled and started to clear the boxes and bottles. Lisbon stood to help.

Jane started to clear the mess with them but Lisbon stopped him with a pointed look. Jane saw her eyes flit to Van Pelt and he knew that Lisbon wanted to talk to her alone. With their arms loaded, Grace and Teresa headed to the kitchenette.

"You know you can ask, Grace."

"Are you happy?"

"Yeah Grace I am."

"But he's so Jane. Doesn't that drive you crazy? And what about Red John?"

"Understandable concerns, but we are OK, really. So far so good so to speak. He is damaged and tiring and demanding. But he's also considerate, attentive, and gentle. He trusts me, I trust him and that would surprise most but its true. As far as Red John, he hasn't tried anything yet and we will get him before he does. We aren't getting any younger you know. Are you upset because of Rigsby?"

"No, I don't think it would have worked anyway in hindsight and he's got Sarah now. And Jane's not an agent so the rules are probably different anyway."

"Actually not so much. That is what Bertram wanted this morning was to bounce one of us."

"Really?"

"Yeah but Jane made him back down."

"What did he do?"

"No idea, he won't tell me and he is unconcerned so I'm OK with it."

"He always acts unconcerned."

"I've learned his tells, Grace. I probably knew them awhile ago but just ignored how well we knew each other. Made it easier to stay apart I suppose."

"You guys are cute together. He looks younger you know. Less pain around the eyes."

"It's still there Grace, but we are working through it," Lisbon said quietly as Van Pelt looked at her knowingly. She knew about deep seated scars after shooting Craig. Understood what Lisbon was trying to say.

Grace reached out and gave Lisbon a surprise hug, startling Teresa who froze for a moment before giving in to the warm hearted gesture of the younger woman.

"I'm happy for you guys, Lisbon."

"Thanks, it means alot to me you guys are OK with this."

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"So are you treating her OK, Jane?" Rigsby asked with as stern of voice as he could.

"I hope so Wayne."

"We had this conversation yesterday Rigsby," Cho offered.

"Oh."

Rigsby knew if Cho had a conversation already with Jane, then he should already be sufficiently warned. Jane and LIsbon deserved have a chance at love but he never expected it to be with the other. They fought, they argued and frustrated each other but he could see the affection always under their surface but never suspected it was more than affection. Whatever floats their boat, he thought.

Jane just smiled at the two men at the table with him. Lisbon could disembowel him with a teaspoon but they still worried about her. He was glad for their loyalty.

"What do you want to know Rigsby? I can feel your thoughts boring into my brain."

Rigsby didn't know how to ask politely, so he just blurted it out.

"Can you do this, Jane? Demons sufficiently tamped down?"

Jane didn't know how to answer. So he was honest.

"I don't know. I just know that if I ever intentionally hurt her, I will buy you a shovel also."

At Rigsby's look of confusion, Cho filled him in.

"Jane said he'd buy me a shovel if he hurt her. To help hide the body."

Rigsby just grinned, Cho smirked slightly and Jane widely smiled at them both. It would be OK.

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"How did your talk with Grace go?" Jane asked as he curled around Lisbon in bed later, his chest pressed into her back while his fingers made lazy patterns on her stomach.

"Went pretty good. I thought she'd be upset about what happened with Rigsby but she seemed OK with it."

"We have a good team, Teresa. Good friends. We probably should keep them," Patrick jokingly said as he nuzzled her neck.

Lisbon chuckled and turned to face him.

"It helps that the boys would hurt you if you didn't do your best in this."

"Yeah they are almost as protective of you as I am. But I won't give them a chance to protect you, that is my job."

"So possessive Patrick."

"Only of what its important to me. I think you trump everything else I have."

"Even the Citroen?" Lisbon asked jokingly.

Jane looked at her with mischief in his eyes and replied, "Well, she is a Goddess you know so maybe I should stick with the divine in that case."

Lisbon chucked a pillow at his head and Jane pulled her close, kissing her and smiling against her lips. He was going to worship the goddess in his bed instead. He wouldn't ever let Teresa feel second best and he would prove it to her every chance he got.


	6. Chapter 6

**I hope everyone enjoys this next installment. I'm trying to update as well as I can and keep the flow. Thank you for all your reviews and favourites. It means alot that someone enjoys this!**

**Disclaimer - Not Mine.**

The SCU settled into a routine that wasn't so different from before except there was one less car in the parking lot since Jane and Lisbon came to work together, usually arguing with smiling eyes about something or other as they got off the elevator.

She still got mad at him for crazy stunts, still tossed random office supplies at his head. Jane for his part was still getting punched in the nose on occasion.

Her townhouse began to change too. There were tea bags on the counter in the kitchen, suits started to multiply in her closet and there were two toothbrushes living by the sink. The dining table had finally found use as Patrick refused to eat in front of the television unless it was popcorn. Soft cosy blankets materialized over every piece of furniture in the living room.

Patrick and Teresa started their own ritual. They would help each other put their respective chains around their neck. Hers holding a cross, his a ring. He had wanted to remember Angela and Charlotte but not dishonour Teresa either. He still remembered when she put the chain around his neck for the first time.

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Teresa had watched him struggle with the ring and the implications to what they had. He'd fiddle with it constantly and look as if he was somewhere far away, then he would glance at her and guilt would settle on his features. The conflict apparent if not spoken about. She found an estate jeweller and saw the chain, knowing it was perfect. Strong and intricate, much like the man she was going to give it to.

"Patrick, can I see your ring, please?"

He looked at her solemnly from the couch at the townhouse and he couldn't deny her anything. She had been so patient.

Quietly he handed it over, unsure where she was going with it as she went to the bedroom. He stared after her and just waited for her to return, wondering what she was doing but he trusted her.

When Teresa came back in to the living room, she asked Patrick to turn which he did slowly, and then he noticed the chain and the ring lowering before his eyes and around his neck as she fastened it.

"I don't want you to forget them and I wouldn't ask you to."

Patrick couldn't speak over the lump in his throat as he turned to look at the little dark haired angel who had fallen into his broken world. He just pulled her into his lap and held her as his emotions carried him and the silent tears fell, wetting her neck where his face was buried. Teresa just stroked his hair and quietly loved him for her, Angela and Charlotte. There was room.

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The pattern of their life became a drumbeat. It had a rhythm of comfort and normalcy in a world where they never expected to find it. Neither figured they would be domestic but that is exactly what they were. Dinners, laundry, falling asleep on the couch in front of the TV, arguments over who had used the last of the hot water. Patrick had moved in and neither had really noticed. It was like everything else in their life, it just had happened.

And some of the things that had just happened were bigger than the others.

Morning routines of coffee for her and tea for him became tea for both. The coffee machine must be needing a clean because the smell of what came out of it turned her stomach. So Patrick had humoured her and descaled it and cleaned it. She still couldn't stand what came out of it but she didn't mind as she was growing fond of tea.

She couldn't get enough of blueberries either. Not that Patrick minded so much. He just had to remember to buy twice as many blueberry muffins as Teresa would eventually eat her weight in them nearly. He didn't tell her that he noticed, and he didn't tell her that he noticed her button down shirts pulled a bit more across her chest either. Not that he minded as he rather enjoyed the rounding out of Teresa and the reason he suspected for all the changes was a gift he never thought he'd have.

It was when she seemed to have the world's smallest bladder with the constant need for a toilet break that she decided to see her doctor. A woman's curse was the dreaded UTI so she made an appointment to get the antibiotic that she thought she would need.

Patrick just grinned over his tea cup from her office sofa as she made the appointment with the GP. He'd see if he could go with her to the appointment the following day. Didn't want to miss this little revelation for the world.

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"Why did you demand to drive me, Patrick?" Teresa huffed in the waiting room while thumbing through a 6 month old Cosmo.

"We drove my car this morning and you couldn't take a CBI vehicle for personal use. And you hate driving the Citroen," he logically argued.

"Be logical then. See if I care."

Patrick just smirked at her with his eyes twinkling. Why he thought the doctor was a grand adventure, was beyond her comprehension.

"Ms. Lisbon? The doctor will see you now."

Patrick rose with Teresa and she just looked at him and said, "I can manage on my own you know."

"I am here to support you dear," he stated as if that would totally explain his presence to a very routine doctor's appointment. Teresa just shook her head, figuring it wasn't worth a fight.

"Ah miss Lisbon. How are you today?" The kindly 60ish doctor asked as a greeting.

"I think I have a UTI so just needing some antibiotics today, Doctor."

"No problem Teresa, we'll just need a urine sample to test and it won't be long to get the culture done. When we know what it is, we can prescribe what's necessary."

Teresa grabbed the specimen cup and did what she had to do handing it to the lab tech that was waiting outside the bathroom stall.

Patrick just winked and squeezed her hand when she came back in the examination room while waiting on the results.

Apparently Jane only hated doctors when they were bothering him but seemed to enjoy her visit immensely. She would never figure him out.

When the doctor entered the exam room after a while again and holding lab results, Teresa was waiting on the macrobid prescription that she had needed before. That isn't what she got.

"So Miss Lisbon, I take it that Mr. Jane is your partner?"

"Yes, for about 3 months or so now?" She said with a questioning lilt to her voice.

"Well then I suppose congratulations are in order for you both. You're pregnant."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're pregnant Miss Lisbon. I can't tell how far along but I would say not too far as you are petite and not showing yet. We'll have to schedule an ultrasound to be more precise and line up an OBGYN for you."

Teresa blanched. Pregnant. She didn't expect that but she should have, they hadn't exactly done anything to prevent it. She looked at Patrick and just watched him grin, eyes sparkling. He looked happy and smug. She enjoyed the fact that he was happy but she really wanted to slap the smug off of him. He obviously had his suspicions as he wasn't taken aback at all. She'd have to kill him later.

The rest of the appointment was a bit of a blur. Patrick took the prescription for pre natal vitamins from the doctor, and took the list of OBGYN's to look through and ushered her out after he paid for the visit. She still hadn't said anything and he started to worry that he was the only one that was happy about the turn of events.

He led her to a bench in front of the medical clinic and sat down next to her.

"Teresa?"

"Yeah?"

"Please say something."

She turned to look at him and noticed the worry that was etching itself onto his face as his fingers nervously rubbed the knuckles on her hands while he held them, waiting expectantly for her to talk.

"I don't know what to say. I'm a bit numb right now and it hasn't settled in yet. The idea if you know what I mean. This is a bit overwhelming."

"Do you want it?" Patrick asked and unconsciously held his breath. Starting to worry about what she would want.

Teresa looked at him and smiled.

"You sweet crazy man, how could you think I didn't?"

"You were just so quiet. And there are things out there that haven't been resolved yet, I just thought..."

"Stop right there Patrick. You are amazing. For all you have been through, you still have a capacity for life and joy that I wonder at every day. Don't you dare think that a boogeyman is going to scare me away or deprive us of our family. I love you."

Patrick was stunned. They had never said the words out loud, implied yes but it was so different to hearing them from her cupid's bow mouth. He crushed her to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too. Together we can do this."

"Together."

With that they stood and walked back to the Citroen with something so precious that they had created and the world became more vivid for them both. They just had something so wonderful that they couldn't help but fight for it.

They were becoming a family.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to everyone who reads this. It does make it worth it that you are all enjoying my little moments of vocabulary vomit. I am a horrible proof reader and generally take very little time to write but when the idea hits on how I want to take something, then I put it down. I hope you enjoy this.**

**Disclaimer - Not Mine.**

"Teresa, will you come with me?"

"Where are we going?"

"If I tell you it's important, do I still have to tell you where?" Patrick asked with his best puppy eyes looking at her expectantly.

"Not if you buy me lunch. You know I'm eating for two now," Teresa responded with less bite than the words carried. She had been alternately enjoying and loathing the last month of doting Jane and figured that she could indulge him as he probably wouldn't let it rest.

Ever since the doctor visit, Jane would be less than 20 feet from her at all times. He anticipated her needs before she had them which was slightly unnerving and occasionally irritating. Van Pelt thought it was sweet the way he worried, and Cho just kept a cool eye out for any misbehaviour on Jane's part. Rigsby was too pre-occupied with his own newborn to notice much at all.

The team had taken news of her pregnancy well and were all doing their best to keep her work load to a minimum. Even Jane had pulled fewer stunts and that had decreased the paperwork immeasurably. Telling the team had been one of Jane's ideas.

Jane had just walked into work with his hand at her back as usual but it wasn't usual at all. He had made a "baby on board" sign and had stuck it surreptitiously to her back. Van Pelt was the first to notice the sign and had squealed in delight and hugged Teresa. Lisbon was finding that she didn't mind the hugs like she once would have. Cho just looked pointedly at Jane, the threat of screwing this up hanging heavy in the air. Jane just nodded in his direction, acknowledging the unsaid threat. Rigsby of course was ready to offer all the newborn clothes that he could as his own child would be out of them by then. After that it was business as usual but with a hovering overprotective consultant and field work to a minimum for her.

Wainwright just looked slightly disdainful when he was told about the pregnancy. Since Bertram didn't bounce either of them, there wasn't much that he could do but follow the protocol for a pregnant agent much to his distaste as everyone else seemed overjoyed for the unlikely couple.

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After lunch at the diner with the best blueberry pie, Lisbon noticed that Jane was quiet on the drive to wherever he was taking her. He kept fiddling with her fingers that he lightly held in his hand across the seat while he drove, almost absentmindedly. It was when they pulled in to the cemetery that Teresa became aware of the importance of what they were doing.

Pulling up to the curb, Patrick looked at Teresa and said, "I thought it was time you met them."

Walking up to the matching head stones, Jane gripped Lisbon's fingers harder than usual and his mouth in a firm line. This was important to him and he didn't want to screw it up.

"Hi Ang and Charlie. I don't know if you can hear me, but Teresa here has this wild notion that you might so I'm indulging her. I just wanted you to meet," Patrick whispered, his emotions trying to get the better of him as he clung even harder to Teresa's hand.

"She's good for me Ang. You would have liked her. We also should tell you that you will have a brother or a sister, Charlie. I know you always wanted one."

Patrick reached out and touched the cold stone with their names engraved on them as a few silent tears fell from his blue eyes. Teresa was unsure what to say so she decided to voice what she would like to tell them if they were in front of her.

"Hi Angela and Charlotte. I'm Teresa as you've guessed I'm sure. I just want to tell you that I will take care of Patrick and your Dad. I can see why you loved him Angela even though he can be a pain in the ass. And Charlotte, thank you for showing him how to be a dad. I'm sure your brother or sister will appreciate that. I'm glad I got to meet you."

Teresa wrapped her arms around Patrick's waist while they stood there just holding each other. The importance of his two families meeting not lost on the wounded man that dared to fall in love again. He started to believe he was the luckiest man in the world to have shared his life with two women who were so much better than him. There was no guilt just profound gratitude that they both had seen him as better than what he saw in himself. He was humbled by their faith in him.

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That night as they lay in bed, Patrick gently laid his head on Lisbon's slightly rounded tummy. He murmured to the life that they had created words that Teresa couldn't clearly hear. She just felt the love in them as they whispered across her flesh, her hands raking through his curls.

"Patrick?"

"Hmm?"

"I hope he has your curls. I can imagine running my fingers through them and him getting all huffy because his mother is being affectionate in front of his friends."

"I think she will have your hair colour. Two dark haired women to keep me in line."

"Why do you think it is going to be a girl?"

"I am just covering all the bases my dear. You always refer to the baby as a boy and I'm just making sure that if it's a girl, she has still felt loved," he said as he gently kissed her belly button and stretched up behind Teresa. He was big on spooning and rubbing her tummy, not that she minded. It was nice to feel as if she was the one being protected.

"I love you Patrick. Thank you for today."

"Thank you for meeting them. It felt like a full circle today, my past and my present and my future all in one place. Listen to me waffling on."

"I think it's sweet when you waffle. I also think that they'd be happy. Glad that the man that they loved didn't just give up. I'd be happy if I were them."

"Angela would have liked you, would have liked how you take very little crap off of me. Charlie, she would have been over the moon to have a baby in the house."

"Patrick, I want our child to know them too. This might be awful cheesy to say but without them, I wouldn't have you and that makes them important to all of us here."

He just wrapped his arms around her tighter, and nodded against her neck, the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

He was definitely a lucky man.


End file.
